Geography (Physical) BSc (Hons)

On our BSc Physical Geography course you will study processes that shape the ecological world around us.Learn through a mixture of engaging field classes and technical training in laboratory skills, with plenty of support from our academics.Field classes are one of the most popular aspects of this degree and include trips to Naples, the island of Crete, and Almeria in Spain. Students love the chance to get out there and complete field based research.Field classes are subsidised but additional costs are involved. You will be guaranteed a place on at least one field trip. We are also developing additional field trips to Iceland, Africa and Latin America.The award-winning Whiteknights campus is incredibly beautiful and diverse, offering you the chance to carry out some experiments and tests on-site.By your final year, you will be able to specialise in the areas that are interesting and important to you. Previous students have studied climate change and water pollution, for example. You will have the support and expertise of world renowned academics from other departments and can work on real research projects.You can also choose to take a full year of study abroad or professional experience as part of your degree, usually between your second and third year of study. Recent destinations for study abroad year include Melbourne, Australia and Ottawa, Canada.PlacementThis course provides opportunities for you to work with partner organisations on research projects. Recent examples include Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Reading Borough Council, the Earth Trust, Reading Buses and West Berkshire Wildlife Group.You will benefit from the links that members of staff have with industry and with external organisations such as NGOs, local authorities, and government departments. Most recently, a final year student undertook field work for her dissertation at the Environmental Studies Centre in Cyprus, benefiting from the expertise and facilities available in a challenging and exciting environment overseas.The department also runs one of the most successful study abroad schemes in the UK and enjoys active links with approved partner universities in Europe, Australia, Canada or the USA. In the autumn term of your final year, you will have the chance to study abroad for a term – either in the Netherlands (Groningen), Denmark (Aarhus), or Norway (University of Bergen or Svalbard). All classes are conducted in English and bursaries are available to help with travel and accommodation costs.CareersOverall, 91% of our graduates are in work or further study within six months of graduation (DLHE survey, 2016–17). Our degrees give you the specific and general transferable skills needed for a range of careers in areas such as renewable energy, wildlife conservation, urban and transport planning, biodiversity and climatology, as well as careers where a geography degree is highly regarded, such as surveying and architecture.You can undertake a work or research placement as part of your course and there are numerous opportunities to work on research projects with partner organisations such as Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Reading Borough Council, the Earth Trust and Natural England. Recent placement and internship projects involved neighbourhood regeneration, resilience and sustainability, food and consumerism in the media and responses to epidemics in poorer countries. You can enhance your degree with a full year of professional experience between your second and third year of study.